Materials no Jikan
by F91
Summary: After their befriending, the Materials need to be rehabilitated to function properly in society. Appointed as their teacher, is Yuuno up to the task?
1. Materials no Jikan

"… You want me to what?" Yuuno gawked

"You heard me." Chrono snorted. "It's just as I told you."

"Why should I? There's no reason for me to do such a thing!"

"You're the best for the job because you're an amazing teacher… Is what Nanoha said."

"… That's cheap and you know it…" Yuuno muttered weakly.

"So you'll do it then." The older boy said matter of factly. "Well, good luck."

And that's how Yuuno found himself at the front of a classroom standing before the three Materials.

After their defeat, it was decided that the three copies made by the Book of Darkness were to be re-educated so they could become productive members of society. To that end, they would be exposed to a classroom environment, the place most ordinary children learned how to behave properly, with Yuuno serving as their teacher. At nine years old he hardly thought he had any teaching credentials.

Not thrilled about his assignment, Yuuno still did his best to do the task, but it did prove to be exceedingly difficult. Thankfully the Materials had all taken some basic skills such as reading and writing from their originals along with their currently sealed magical abilities. Yuuno was able to give them assigned readings and such to do, and he didn't have to worry about them blowing anything up.

Glancing over at his students, he saw they were all seated at their desks with their text books. They all wore Nanoha's school uniform for some reason. Yuuno figured that was probably Hayate's choice.

Material-S, aka Seikou no Senmetsusha, aka Starlight Destroyer was an exact duplicate of Nanoha save for her shorter hair and perpetually flat expression. Reserved and courteous, she was obediently reading the passage in the text that Yuuno had assigned. Seikou, as most called her, was by far the easiest of the three to handle. Sometimes Yuuno caught himself doting on her for obvious reasons.

The next desk over was Material-L, aka Raijin no Shuugekisha, aka Attacker of the Lightning Blade. She preferred to be called Raiko and was a copy of Fate only with blue hair and a far more cheerful demeanour. She was certainly an energetic one who was currently fidgeting in her seat. It was an improvement over how she'd previously jump up and randomly run out of the room, though. Yuuno had to work out a system where for every hour she remained in her seat she earned a piece of (secretly sugar free) candy. The promise of sweets worked wonders on the child-like girl. She wasn't very bright, though, as evident by how she was currently reading her textbook while holding it upside down. Even if Yuuno flipped it over, Raiko would immediately look confused and study the book from all angles, leading to it being turned upside down again. It was rather exhausting but still a little amusing at the same time.

Finally there was Material-D, aka Yami Suberu Ou, aka Lord of Darkness. Hayate's grey haired doppelganger insisted on being called 'Your Majesty', but that would only encourage her so she was called Yami to her displeasure. By far the most difficult, Yami was haughty, and downright mean at times. She never listened to Yuuno's instructions, stating that she had no reason to obey a lowly worm and that she would do as she pleased. Pointing out how she was defeated and was now at the mercy of lowly worms just pissed her off. She sat at her desk with her book closed and was staring at Yuuno with a defiant smirk. The boy sighed and ignored her. At least she wasn't causing trouble.

"Ok then," Yuuno spoke up, deciding to resume his lesson. Due to his field of expertise, and his belief that the key to knowing the present is to understand the past, his lectures were primarily on history. "The passage I just had you read was on Igen Dleifgnirps, a great mage that once saved an entire world from destruction and was appointed as its king afterwards. Now, who can tell me in what year he took the throne?"

Seikou quietly raised her hand.

"Yes, Seikou?" She did not speak until Yuuno called on her.

"Year twenty-two." She answered simply.

"That's right." Yuuno smiled and failed to stop his hand from reaching out and patting her head. Her face got a little redder, but that might have been his imagination. Whatever the case, Seikou herself didn't object to the action, but Raiko did.

"No fair!" She pouted. "Why does sensei only pat Seikou's head? I want to get patted too!"

"Uh, well…" Yuuno pulled his hand back. "It's because she always answers questions correctly."

"Then I'll answer them too!" Raiko declared, now leaning forward in anticipation of the next question.

"Next question then," Yuuno continued. "What was the name of Igen's most trusted knight?"

"Oh! Oh! Me! Pick me!" Raiko jumped up, hand flailing in the air. Yuuno suppressed a chuckle.

"What's the answer then, Raiko?"

"Uh…" She suddenly froze, her expression blanking out. The others could almost hear the gears turning in her head. "Um… Pudding!"

Yuuno sighed. "No, I'm sorry that's not the right answer."

"Then… um… Hot dogs!"

'She must be hungry…' He mused. "No, that's not right either."

"What?" Raiko started to fume. "But…"

Seikou raised her hand again.

"Lady Anusa." She answered.

"That's right." Yuuno smiled again.

"Seikou, I was going to say that!" Raiko moped once more.

"You'll get the next one, I'm sure." Yuuno tried to placate her. He decided to ask an easy question next. "Igen had a loyal wolf companion named Oratouk. Now, what sound does a wolf make?"

Raiko launched up out of her seat. "Moo!"

"… No, that's a cow…" Yuuno put a hand over his face. Sometimes he wondered if she did this on purpose.

"Stupid wolf." The blue-head began a low growl. "Why don't you go moo?"

Yuuno began to sweat lightly, knowing what was coming next. Raiko could be extremely happy go lucky, but her temper raged like an inferno. He had to defuse the situation quickly.

"There there," He said, rubbing the top of her head. "It's okay, I know you're trying your very best. You're a good girl."

Raiko's expression melted into one of bliss, giggling softly as her head was patted. Yuuno could have sworn there was some purring in there too. He sighed in relief that a temper tantrum had been avoided. At this rate he'd get through another day without incident.

Yami would have none of that.

"Hey, mongrel." She called, causing him to look her way. He was quite surprised to see she actually had her book open.

"Yes Yami, what is it?" He asked cautiously. If she was speaking, it most certainly wouldn't be anything good.

"Address me as your majesty!" She frowned briefly before returning to a smirk. "Anyways, it says here that this Igen fellow had one of the largest _harems_ in recorded history. Is this true?"

"Er… Yes, it's as it's written…"

"Three, two, one…" Yami grinned.

"… What's a harem?" Raiko blinked.

"Oh yes, do tell." Yami rested her chin on her propped up, interlinked hands.

"Geh…" Yuuno gulped. So that's what she was after. "Well… How can I explain it…? A harem is when a person, usually a ruler or some one with lots of power, has many… lovers. Igen himself had over thirty wives."

"Lots of kings have harems, don't they?" Yami asked.

"Well, yes, since there's no one to stop them, really…"

"Fufufu, okay then!" Yami proclaimed, standing up on her chair and propping her leg up on the desk. "Then as your ruler I hereby decree the formation of my own harem! Be grateful, peon!" She pointed to Yuuno. "For I have decided to make you the first member of my harem!"

Yuuno balked. "Wha… What are you saying? You can't…"

"Yay! I want to be Yuuno-sensei's lover too!" Raiko pounced, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging tightly.

"Er, Raiko," He flushed, trying to sound persuasive. "You really should only be lovers with some one you really like…"

"I like Yuuno-sensei!" She cheerfully declared. "You give me candy and pat my head! I like you a lot!"

"Urg…" Yuuno's face grew redder at her words. Desperate, he turned to his only possible saviour. "Seikou, please talk some sense into them!"

The brunette slowly rose to her feet and calmly made her way over to the others. When she reached him, she silently raised her hand and gingerly took hold of Yuuno's sleeve before turning her face away.

The room went silent for a moment.

'Eeeeeh? What does that mean?' The boy cried mentally.

"Yay! So we're all part of sensei's harem!" Raiko squealed happily.

"Yeah!" The other two chirped, Seikou doing it much more quietly.

"Oh boy…" Yuuno groaned. "What am I supposed to do about this?"

"… Hey, wait a second!" Yami suddenly frowned. "This is supposed to be _my_ harem!"

* * *

Read the names of the historical figures backwards and you'll get Negima characters ^^"


	2. Such a Long Day

Yuuno moaned lightly as he awoke, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He attempted to rise and begin another day, but the arms tightly encircling him made that impossible. Glancing over he was met with a blast of blue resting on his shoulder.

"Not again…" He sighed as he attempted to pry Material-L's hands away. Raiko would often climb into his bed during the night despite him telling her not too. Unfortunately the girl had the strength of a gorilla, so freeing himself always proved to be a difficult task. Sighing again, he let his head roll to the other side.

There his eyes met with Material-S's.

"Good morning, Yuuno-san." Seikou greeted flat.

"Gah!" Yuuno jerked. "S-Seikou, what are you doing in my bed too?"

"… My apologies." The brunette said calmly as she sat up. "After witnessing Raiko do it, I decided to experience it for myself. Is it that much of a bother?"

"Err, well…"

"Hey, peons!" Material-D burst through the bedroom door, only to stop and glare at the scene before her. "And here I was wondering why you weren't around to serve me! How dare you engage in those activities without your harem mistress present?"

"No, Yami, you're…" Yuuno began.

"You are mistaken, Material-D." Seikou interrupted. "We were merely sharing the same bed, nothing more. If you wanted to join us, you had the opportunity but you are the one who decided she have her own room."

"Like I'm going to share a room with lowly servents!" Yami huffed. "Well whatever you're doing doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm hungry and you don't have breakfast ready!"

"Breakfast?" Raiko suddenly shot up. "I want waffles!"

"Yes, that sounds like a grand idea." Yami nodded and pointed to Yuuno. "Now get to work!"

Yuuno groaned. How did he end up in this mess?

X-X-X

"… I told you to teach them, not seduce them." Chrono said flatly.

"I didn't!" Yuuno insisted. "They just decided on this harem business on their own!"

"Well, I suppose I can't blame you." Chrono went on without a hitch. "Teachers often take advantage of their students, and I suppose if you can't score the real things, their evil clones are a fine substitute."

"How dare you!" Yuuno exploded. "I would never stoop so low! And even if it's you Chrono, I won't stand for you speaking of them like that! They may be copies, but they are not evil nor are they merely substitutes for the others! They're their own unique individuals and deserve to be treated as such!"

"So you're saying you have no intention of taking advantage of them."

"Of course not!" Yuuno shouted.

"Then you should have no problem living with them."

"No problem at all!"

"Good, it's decided then." Chrono smirked.

Yuuno blinked before it dawned on him. "… Wait, what?"

X-X-X

"Chrono that bastard…" The young archaeologist muttered as he mixed the batter. His older friend sure knew how to manipulate him, and it pissed Yuuno off that he did. Yuuno and the Materials had been quickly set up in a house all their own after that. It wasn't a very large residence, with only two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bath, and a living room. The original intent was for Yuuno to have his own room while the Materials all shared one, however when they arrived Yami wasn't pleased.

"_I object! Why should I have to share? As your king I demand to have my own room!"_

Though Yuuno tried to fight it, Yami wouldn't give in. It also didn't help that the other two didn't have a problem with Yami's proposed arrangement. And so, Yami got the single room to herself while Yuuno had to share with Raiko and Seikou.

He considered moving to the couch instead, but Raiko wouldn't let him.

"_But I want to sleep with sensei!"_ She had pleaded. Yuuno wasn't sure if he gave in to her puppy dog eyes or the possibility she might break something if he made her mad, but he ended up occupying one of the three single beds all the same.

Yuuno would always have to dash out in the morning and knock on the door before entering since Raiko had no qualms about stripping in front of him. Even so, the blue haired girl often forgot to close the door so he did catch the occasional glance. At least Seikou had a sense of shame.

Sometimes he wondered about the nature of the Materials. They were copies of Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate that the Book of Darkness's defence program had created so it could continue to survive and Yuuno theorized that their personalities were taken from the subconscious of his friends. Raiko was extremely childish and prone to temper tantrums, acting like the selfish kid Fate never had the chance to be. On the other hand, Seikou was mature and polite, the kind of girl Nanoha probably aspires to be. While he doubted Hayate secretly wanted to rule the world, she had been confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. That weakness probably had her desiring more power, a desire that the darkness had amplified and twisted.

Even if his theory was true, it didn't make them any less human in Yuuno's eyes.

"Hey, mongrel! Stop introspecting and hurry up with those waffles!" Yami demanded.

"Yes, your majesty…" He droned sarcastically before realising it was the wrong thing to say.

"So you finally understand your place." Yami leaned back smugly. "It's about time!"

"Please do not mind her." Seikou said beside him, stirring her own bowl of batter.

"I try not to but sometimes it's hard…" He sighed before shaking his head and smiling. "Thanks for helping out, Seikou. I really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it." Seikou replied and Yuuno swore he could see a ghost of a smile on her face. He honestly didn't know how he'd handle things without her around.

"Do you like waffles, yeah we like waffles, do you like pancakes, yeah we like pancakes, do you like French toast, yeah we like French toast, do do do do can't wait to get a mouthful!" Raiko sang happily as she banged the butt of her fork and knife on the table.

"… I hope we don't have to make pancakes and French toast too…" Yuuno chuckled nervously.

"Do not worry, Yuuno-san." Seikou reassured him. "I am certain she shall forget about it soon."

X-X-X

They got away with just the waffles and after cleaning up and getting ready, the four of them headed to the Infinity Library.

On top of teaching the Materials, Yuuno still had the task of organizing the library on his plate and somehow he managed to juggle both. Since he couldn't let them out of his sight, the three girls had to accompany him to the library, much to Yami's dismay. She found the place to be boring and unsuited for a great ruler such as herself, but she had been convinced that she had a duty to watch over her subjects.

Of course the 'watching over' part didn't last long, and the silver haired girl often took what she called 'royal naps.' She was currently engaged in one of those.

While his magic ran its searches, Yuuno glanced over to Yami's sleeping form sprawled out on one of the ledges. He couldn't help but note how serene and down right cute her sleeping face looked. It was far more pleasing than her scowling visage and sharp tongue.

Next he checked on Raiko, who was floating off to the side surrounded by books. Yuuno never expected the Infinity Library to stock picture books, but sure enough it did. The twin tailed girl had one open in her hands and was reading it rather intently. Yuuno was somewhat proud to note that she held the book right side up.

"Yuuno-san, here are the books you require." Seikou announced as she floated up to him with a stack of tomes.

"That's great, thanks." Yuuno smiled. "You can just put them there."

Seikou complied and when her task was complete she merely sat on the air next to Yuuno. He was aware of her closeness, but he actually found some comfort in it. His life had been rather hectic recently, so this nice and quiet moment was extremely welcome.

"I am pleased to see you all getting along so well." A new voice noted. Yuuno turned to the fresh arrival.

"Oh, hello Reinforce." He greeted the ancient device. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Hey! It's boobie-book-lady!" Raiko bounced up and flew over, grabbing onto Reinforce and burying her face in her chest. "You're so big and bouncy and soft!"

"I thank you." Reinforce smiled with a soft blush. Seikou stood and bowed politely and Reinforce returned the gesture to the best of her ability. Yami continued to snooze.

"What can I do for you today?" Yuuno asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to see how you were doing." She replied.

"Well, I'm managing to get by somehow." Yuuno smiled sheepishly.

"Yuuno-sensei is great!" Raiko beamed. "He made us waffles!"

"I see," Reinforce patted Raiko's head. "Thank you for taking such good care of them, Yuuno."

"No, I'm really not doing that much…" Yuuno scratched the back of his head.

"Yuuno-san is far too modest." Seikou noted.

"Yes, we all owe you a great deal." Reinforce nodded. "If it weren't for you we wouldn't be able to continue to exist and live peacefully like this. Thanks to your research the defence program has been split up and sealed away within the four of us where it is not powerful enough to cause any more harm."

"It was the least I could do…" He flushed.

"Oh, look who it is." Yami yawned as she floated down. "What are you doing here?"

"You look well Material… Pardon, Yami." Reinforce smiled.

"Call me your majesty!" Yami huffed. "Know your place you dusty old book!"

"The same as always." Reinforce noted. "If she gives you too much trouble, please feel free to ask for my assistance."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." Yuuno shrunk a bit under Yami's glare.

"Hrmph, well we should be done for the day!" Yami declared. "We're leaving!"

"But I'm not…" Yuuno tried, but Yami grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

"I said we're leaving!"

"Okay!" Raiko cheered, pulling herself away from Reinforce and following the others. "See you boobie-book-lady!"

Seikou bowed again and left as well.

"I wish you luck." Reinforce said softly.

X-X-X

Yuuno sighed for the umpteenth time that day as he flopped down onto the couch. The moment of peace earlier had been fleeting, and his current time alone would probably prove to be the same.

"NO, I DON'T WANNA!" Raiko's shout rang through the house. The pounding of footsteps followed and the girl in question ran into the living room.

Completely naked.

Yuuno only had his saliva to do a spit take with as he got a full look at her young naked body. Seikou entered the room soon after, but at least she had to sense to wrap a towel around herself.

"Raiko, it is time for your bath." She said calmly.

"No! I don't wanna take a bath!" Raiko ran up to Yuuno. "Sensei, I don't have to take a bath, right?"

"Err, you, ah, um…" Yuuno fumbled with his words as he remembered he should shut his eyes. "Yes, you have to take a bath!"

"Eeeeeh?" Raiko pouted. "But it's not fair! Sensei never has to take a bath!"

"I do take baths!" Yuuno told her. "I'll take mine after you're done yours!"

"I don't believe you!" Raiko crossed her arms. "I'll take a bath when you take a bath!"

"W-We can't do that!" Yuuno insisted.

"Why?" Raiko asked.

"B-Because, it's not good if boys and girls take baths together…"

"Why?" Raiko asked again.

"Because…"

"Yuuno-san, I do not believe she will relent on this issue." Seikou said. "Besides, Enforcer Harlaown had informed me that you've bathed with girls before… Is it really so undesirable to bathe with us?"

'Damn that Chrono…' Yuuno chanced opening an eye to look at Seikou. It was very slight, but he saw a little sadness in her expression and it caused him to relent. "… Okay, okay, I'll take a bath with you…"

"Yay!" Raiko cheered and dragged him by the arm. "Let's go!"

X-X-X

Yuuno hesitantly stripped himself before entering the bath. He tried to keep from looking at the equally naked Seikou and Rai, but as soon as he opened the door he got a face full of Yami.

"It took you peons long enough!" She scolded, her legs planted firmly apart and her hands on her hips. "What would you do if I caught a cold?"

"Y-Yami!" Yuuno gawked, the image burning into his eyes before he could close them.

"Hm? What's your problem, mongrel?" Yami looked at him curiously before breaking out into a smirk. "Aha, is seeing your glorious ruler in the buff too much for you to handle? You should be honoured I am allowing you to see my naked form! There is no need to be embarrassed."

Yuuno thought back to the time at the hot springs resort, causing him to flush more fiercely. At that time he was able to see the voluptuous forms of Miyuki and Shinobu, and compared to those women, these girls were certainly nothing to blush about, but it was the principle of the matter!

"What about you?" He asked. "Have you no sense of shame?"

"What a thing to say!" Yami scoffed. "Do you feel shame when dirt and dust see you changing? This matter is no different."

"I love dust bunnies!" Raiko grinned. "They're so fluffy and cute but they make me sneeze and then I squish them!"

"Uh, that's nice…" Yuuno sighed. Well, he should have figured he was no more than dust in Yami's eyes.

"Now then be a good servant and wash me." Yami declared, holding her arms out to the side.

"Excuse me?" Yuuno risked cracking open an eye to see she was being serious.

"You heard me! Do you honestly expect royalty to wash themselves? We have people to do that for us!" Yami sat on one of the bath stools and gestured to her rear. "Get to it!"

Having given up already, Yuuno sat down behind her, blindly groping for the soap and wash cloth. Creating lather, he kept his eyes closed as he put the cloth against Yami's flesh.

"Kyah!" She moaned. "My, such a bold servant washing there first!"

"I'm sorry!" Yuuno's eyes shot open, only to see that his hand was placed on the middle of her back. Looking up, he saw Yami smirking over her shoulder at him.

"Too easy," She snorted. "Now pay attention to what you are doing! If you mess up, heads will roll!"

Yuuno gulped, but kept his eyes open. He just hoped she didn't expect him to wash every part of her body…

"I wanna wash some one too!" Raiko suddenly decided, sitting behind Yuuno with another bar of soap. She went to work on his back, which proved to be slightly painful.

"Raiko, not so hard!" He pleaded. "Do it more gently…"

"Kay!" She complied some what, but it still felt like she would scrub off a layer of skin.

Yuuno beared with it, focusing his attention on washing Yami's back without letting his eyes drift down to her butt. He felt a gaze on him, however, and he looked out the corner of his eye to see Seikou. The brown haired girl was already in the tub, the water up to her nose. She quietly blew bubbles as she watched him with half-lidded eyes.

Feeling even more self-conscious, Yuuno clamped his legs together.

"Sensei, you missed a spot!" Raiko said as she leaned over his shoulder. Her soapy hand went to Yami's back, but the action had her pressing up against Yuuno. His body stiffened as he felt two soft mounds squish against his back and rubbed gently against him as Raiko fidgeted around.

Knowing full well what was going on, Yuuno felt as if he was about to burst. It didn't help that at the moment his mind decided to remind him that the developing body currently held against him was the same as another girl he knew. He had never taken a bath with Fate before, but now he could clearly picture the pretty blond girl in his mind, completely naked and looking at him with a sweet, bashful expression on her face. He wanted to berate himself, tell himself it was wrong to think of a friend like that, but it seemed the forbiddeness of it had even more blood rushing to his head.

"Hm?" For some reason Raiko chose that moment to look down at Yuuno's front. "Hey look! It's getting bigger!"

When that was said, steam shot out of the boy's ears and he toppled over.

X-X-X

"Arg…" Yuuno groaned when he came to. Before his eyes opened, he mentally noted the feeling of fabric against his skin, making him relieved to realise he wasn't naked anymore. When his eyes fluttered open he saw Seikou looking down at him.

"Yuuno-san, you are finally awake." This time her gentle smile was noticeable.

"Seikou, what…" He tried to sit up, but when he did the dizziness hit him, causing him to fall back to his horizontal position. His head hit some kind of cushion, but it didn't take long for it to dawn on him that the cushion was actually Seikou's lap. "I'm sorry! I'll…"

"Please don't push yourself." She softly chided. "You fainted while we were in the bath." Her eyes made a quick dart to his midsection. "We were all… curious, but I assure you I prevented the other two from doing anything."

"O-Oh, thanks…" Yuuno's face turned red again. "Where are the other two?"

"They have already gone to bed. I remained here to await your awakening."

Yuuno looked around to see they were on the couch in the living room. "Sorry for the trouble."

"I feel as though I should be saying that to you." Seikou said with a touch of sadness. "We are the ones who have caused you so much trouble."

"No, it's okay." He replied. "It's not that bad…"

"… You are aware that we have had previous care takers before, yes?"

"Yeah," Yuuno said, thinking back to how he had only taught them while another Bureau appointed person took care of them at home.

"You are our seventh." Seikou revealed.

"What? Was it really that many?"

"Yes," She nodded. "Some lasted almost a week, others only a few days. One didn't even make it an hour."

"Oh…" Yuuno frowned. That certainly sounded bad.

"I cannot say I didn't wish them gone." Seikou went on. "It felt as though they did not care about us at all and were merely doing it for reimbursement. They treated us like objects. While there was one man who appeared to be different, it was only an act and he soon attempted to touch me in an inappropriate manner."

"What?" This time when Yuuno shot up he stayed upright. "Then…"

"Do not worry, he did not lay a hand on me before I… forcibly removed him."

Yuuno's frown deepened. He figured the Bureau would have better screening procedures than that, but perhaps at that point they were so desperate they accepted just about anyone. Chrono's earlier comments suddenly made more sense.

"You are a different matter." Seikou reached out and gently laid her hand on his. "No matter how much trouble myself, Raiko, or Yami cause, you are still here. Despite all the hardships you have never left us and you have always treated us like humans rather than objects. On top of that, earlier you were presented a chance to take advantage of us, but you did not do so. You are a kind, considerate man. Raiko, myself, and even Yami can all sense this and we are extremely grateful that you are here. Thank you for all you've done."

"Uh, well, you're welcome…" Yuuno went bashful at the genuine look in her eyes. "I know that none of you are bad girls either, which is why I want you to have a chance at a normal life. You have so many opportunities ahead of you and I'll do all that I can to help you along the way."

"I really appreciate that." Yuuno's heart skipped a beat when she graced him with the largest smile he had ever seen on her face.

"S-So you have any idea of what you want to do in the future?" He quickly glanced away and asked.

"… I am unsure." Seikou admitted. "However I do know that I wish to remain with… Would it be appropriate to call them my sisters?"

"Yes!" Yuuno smiled. "I think that's a great way to think of them."

"I wish to remain together with my sisters." Seikou nodded. "Also…" She looked Yuuno right in the eye. "I wish to remain together with Yuuno-san as well."

"O-Oh…" Yuuno flushed and turned away again. "Well… I can't promise we'll always be together, but I'll be here so long as you need me."

"That is reassuring." She said as she rose. "Now I think it is time to retire for the evening. Raiko and Yami were quite worried about you and I am certain they will be happy to see you well rested in the morning."

Yuuno nodded and they returned to their room. He wasn't surprised at all to see Raiko already fast asleep in his bed.

"This girl…" He sighed happily. It felt like it would be a shame to disturb her, so he decided to climb in with her. Just for tonight.

"Good night, Yuuno-san." Seikou said from her bed.

"Good night, Seik… AH!" The air was squeezed out of him when Raiko grabbed hold.

"I'm not letting you get away, Mr big fluffy cloud!" The long haired girl mumbled happily in her sleep.


	3. Time for L Gain

I've gone and changed Material-L's name to Raiko. I was never happy with Rai but went with it to match the naming scheme of the other two. I like Levi, the name she has in the 2nd game, but it would feel out of place since I refuse to use the new names for the other two. I decided on Raiko, 'ko' being the way a lot of japanese female names end, plus in Zafira's route she does introduce herself as 'Raikou'. I hope everyone can get used to the change.

* * *

Yuuno stretched as he exited the large research facility at TSAB HQ. Due to their unique origins, the Materials often had to go in for various tests to make sure everything was all right. The three had a full day of exams ahead of them and now that he had dropped them off he wouldn't need to go pick them up until the evening.

He had to admit that he felt a bit lonely without them around. His life was constantly hectic but he had gotten used to the company. Now that he was temporarily free of his responsibilities he wasn't sure how to spend the time.

'I guess I could go work on the library.' He mused. That was another task assigned to him, one that didn't get much attention, so he might as well use the day to make some headway.

"Yuuuuunoooo-sensei!" He heard the call before something collided into him from behind. He managed to keep from falling over and looked back to see Raiko latched onto him.

"Raiko, what are you doing here?" He asked with a bit of a frown. "Did you run away from the doctors again?"

"Nuh uh!" Raiko shook her head as she let go. "They said that some of the do-hickies broke and only had enough to poke and prod Seikou and Yami so I got to go free!"

"Really?" Yuuno raised an eyebrow sceptically. He'd have to call and make sure.

"So you know what?" Raiko grinned as she fished into her pocket. "Ta-dah!" She thrust out two rectangles of paper triumphantly. "The funny lady gave me these!"

"Amy did?" Yuuno studied the slips and saw that they were tickets to the Super Happy Fun Time amusement park.

"She said I should go with sensei and have some fun!" Raiko beamed. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Yuuno figured her story was likely true. Amy probably did give her the tickets since she couldn't have gotten them herself, which meant that she probably was excused from the tests after all. While the library really did need his attention, he just couldn't refuse that face brimming with enthusiasm.

"Okay then," he smiled. "Let's go."

"Yay!"

X-X-X

"Ooooh!" Raiko exclaimed as she looked up at the park. "It's so big!"

"It sure is." Yuuno chuckled as he scanned the surroundings. Despite being a weekday, the park still had a fair number of other patrons.

"Wait, I know this place!" Raiko bopped her fist into her palm in realisation. "I saw it on a TV show! People came here when they went on a date!" Raiko blinked before exclaiming "So we're on a date too!"

"Err, that's…"

"I'm on a date with Yuuno-sensei! I'm on a date with Yuuno-sensei!" The blue haired girl sang, getting chuckles from a few passerbyers.

"Well… I guess you could call it a date…" Yuuno relented. Having his first date be with Raiko didn't sound bad at all. He just hoped she behaved.

They entered the park and Yuuno grabbed a map to see what attractions they had to choose from.

"I wanna go on that one!" Raiko pointed to the tallest steel coaster in the entire park before Yuuno could even open the map. The thing had about five loops, two corkscrews, and three huge drops.

"I think that might be too… extreme for us." Yuuno chuckled nervously. He wasn't one to mind heights, but in this case he was willing to make an exception.

"Oh come on, pleeeeeease?" Raiko clasped her hands together and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

'Must resist…' Yuuno gulped. Luckily his salvation was standing right outside the ride. It was a cardboard cut out of a clown that read 'you must be this tall to ride.' They were just barely under the limit. "Sorry Raiko, but we're too small."

"What, that's not fair!" Raiko grumbled. "Stupid clown! I'll show you who's too short!"

Yuuno knew he had to act fast. "Let's go on that instead!" He took her hand and pulled her towards another random ride.

"Wow, those tea cups are huge!" Raiko gasped, quickly forgetting about the clown. "I wonder what kind of giants drink out of those!"

"No one drinks out of them." Yuuno chuckled in relief. "People ride in them."

"But they'll get all wet." Raiko said. "Well, I hope it's not that icky green stuff that that admiral lady always drinks."

"You'll understand when we get on." They waited in line a few minutes before being seated in one of the cups.

"What's this table for?" Raiko asked. "Are we gonna have a tea party in a tea cup?"

"Well…" The ride started up and the cup began moving. "If you spin the table, the cup will spin too. Like this." Yuuno grabbed the edges of the table and gently spun it, the cup turning in turn.

"Ooooh! I wanna try!" Raiko grabbed the edges as well and began turning.

"Yeah, just like that. Slowly now… Okay, that's fast enough… Raiko, don't do it so har-!" Yuuno found himself forced up against the seat as the world outside of the cup became a blur of colour.

"Weeee!" Raiko giggled as she spun with all her might. If she didn't cut it out soon, Yuuno was certain he was about to get reacquainted with his breakfast very soon.

X-X-X

It was fifteen minutes before Yuuno could walk in a straight line again. Thankfully his stomach contents remained where they were.

Not perturbed in the least, Raiko marched onward and enjoyed what the park had to offer to the fullest. She rode the merry go round, zipped through the mini coasters, laughed through the haunted house, and screamed in terror during the Small World ride.

"That was creepy!" She shivered as they sat on a bench to rest in a sparsely populated area. "I'm going to have bad dreams for weeks!"

"Oh, it wasn't that bad." Yuuno chuckled as he sat back and looked into the sky. It was a flawless blue.

"But the singing! THE SING… OH WOW!" The girl bounced up and ran forward. "It's a kitty!"

The poor animal abruptly stopped cleaning itself and tried to flee but the blue haired girl was too fast for it.

"Such a cute kitty you're so fluffy yes you are!" Raiko squealed as she held the cat tightly, rubbing her cheek into its fur.

"Raiko, stop that!" Yuuno ran up to her. "You're making it mad! It's going to…"

"Ow!" The warning came too late as the feline let out a hiss and swiped its claws at Raiko's hand. It then jumped out of her arms and took a defensive stance.

"Are you okay?" Yuuno asked as he examined Raiko's hand. "Good, it didn't break the skin."

"The kitty hurt me!" Raiko growled as she glared at the animal. "I'll teach it to attack me!"

"No." Yuuno said firmly, tightening his grip on her hand. "Leave the cat alone."

"B-But!" Raiko looked at him like an innocent child being scolded by their parent.

"That was your fault." He said. "You were being too rough with it and it defended itself. It didn't do anything wrong."

"But, but I just wanted to play with it!" Raiko started to tear up.

"That's fine, but you have to be nice and gentle with it." Yuuno released his hold and slowly walked over to the cat. It remained on the defensive for a moment, but soon relaxed and sniffed at the hand Yuuno had outstretched. He then began to gently stroke its fur and elicited purrs.

Raiko took a few tentative steps when he waved her over. She then followed his example and began to slowly pet the cat.

"See? That's how you do it." Yuuno smiled.

"Oooooh." Raiko grinned as the cat flopped over onto its back so its belly could be rubbed. "That's a good kitty!"

After a few moments the animal had had enough and trotted off towards its next adventure.

"Bye bye, kitty!" Raiko waved to it and Yuuno couldn't help but smile at her. When she was like that it was easy to forget that the sweet girl beside him originated from darkness.

"Hey, sensei!" Raiko said when they resumed walking. "Can we get a kitty? Please please please please pleeease!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Yuuno shook his head. "It's a lot of work to take care of a pet and we have our hands full as it is."

"I promise to take good care of it, I swear!" Raiko begged.

'If the cat back there is any indication, I'm worried you might care for it too much…' Yuuno thought. "I'm sorry Raiko, but the answer is still no. Maybe sometime in the future when you can be more responsible, we can talk about it again. Okay?"

"Okay…" Raiko hung her head.

"Err… Well, for now, let's get some ice cream."

"I want chocolate!" Raiko replied, reverting back to her usual chipper self.

X-X-X

After finishing their ice cream, Raiko declared her intent to use the bathroom and ran off. Yuuno waited nearby, doing some window shopping at the souvenir store. Something caught his eye so he went inside, exiting moments later with a small bag.

"I hope she likes it." Yuuno smiled as he checked the bag's contents. When he did so something bumped into him and knocked him down on his rear. He looked up at what he ran into and came face to face with the most selfish, terrible, cruel and foul creatures in existence.

Teenagers.

"Watch where you're going, twerp." One of the three boys scowled.

"I'm really sorry." Yuuno said as he got up.

"If sorry was enough to fix things we wouldn't need cops!" Another of the boys scoffed.

"We might let you off if you entertain us a bit." The final boy said, lightly shoving Yuuno to one of his friends.

"It's important to bow your head to your superiors!" The other boy said before shoving Yuuno again.

"A brat like you needs to know his place." The last boy laughed.

Before Yuuno could formulate some sort of escape strategy some one grabbed one of the boys by the wrist.

"What the?"

"What do you think you're doing to Yuuno-sensei?" Raiko glared as she squeezed.

"Hey, let go!" The teen tried to pull his hand free but to no avail. "What's with this kid? She's crazy strong!"

"I won't forgive you!" Raiko seethed, pulling her arm back and tossing the boy into one of his friends. They both landed in a heap which left the remaining boy gawking. "What you said earlier should apply to you." Raiko advanced on him and brought her leg back. "Know your place!" Her leg shot out and connected hard, sending the guy to join his friends in the heap on the ground.

"Raiko, stop!" Yuuno cried out but the girl showed no indication of hearing him.

"The existence of people like you is revolting." Raiko muttered as she moved forward. Yuuno could see the electricity crackling around her, which was possible because the Materials' magic was unsealed bit by bit due to good behaviour. "I'll kill you and send you to that eternal darkness!"

"Raiko!" Yuuno tried again desperately. He knew that she would kill them without hesitation and he had to stop that at all costs.

"This will be slow, it will be painful and yes, there will be blood!"

"RAIJIN NO SHUUGEKISHA, STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Yuuno screamed. Raiko froze before slowly turning to him, her furious expression replaced with one of shock.

"Y-Y-Yuuno-sensei? What…? But I…" She didn't resist when Yuuno grabbed her hand and pulled her off at a hurried pace. "Sensei, why are you mad?"

Yuuno said nothing.

"It wasn't my fault! Those guys were being bad and picking on sensei!"

Yuuno said nothing.

"They deserved it! I… I… They were hurting you so I…"

Yuuno said nothing.

"I'm sorry!" Tears started spilling from Raiko's eyes. "I just wanted to help you! Please don't hate me!"

Yuuno stopped and took a deep breath, waiting for the rush to settle. "I don't hate you, Raiko, and I'm not mad either… Okay, I'm a little bit mad, but seeing you like that I… I was scared."

"You don't need to be scared of me!" Raiko assured him. "I like Yuuno-sensei a lot so I'd never hurt you!"

"No, it's not that." Yuuno shook his head and turned to look her in the eye. "I was afraid of what would happen if you didn't stop. Listen, killing people is bad. If you killed those boys then the Bureau would come take you away and I would never see you again. I… I couldn't bear for that to happen."

"But… Those guys…"

"Those guys were jerks but that doesn't make it okay to hurt them. Getting angry is perfectly normal but you have to stay calm and not let that anger get out of control. You can't act out violently."

"So I shouldn't try to hurt what makes me mad?" Raiko asked.

"That's right. Do you think you can do that?"

Raiko thought it over a moment. "Okay! I promise I'll try!" She held out a pinky finger and linked it with Yuuno's.

"That settles it then." Yuuno smiled and held out the bag. "Here, this is for you."

Raiko happily opened the bag and shone even brighter when she pulled out a plush cat. "Ooooh!"

"It's not a real cat but it should do for now." Yuuno said. "Be sure to take care of it."

"My own fluffy kitty cat!" Raiko squealed and hugged it tightly. "I will name him George and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him and pat him and pet him and rub him and caress him and…"

"Glad you like it." Yuuno chuckled.

It was getting late so the pair decided it was time to go, but not before they encountered the three boys again. The teens hastily rattled off an apology before running away as fast as they could. Yuuno was relieved that outside of their egos, there was no harm done. He could probably get the Bureau to let the incident slide.

"Today certainly was an eventful day." Yuuno said.

"I had a lot of fun!" Raiko exclaimed, the cat now resting on her head. "The other two will be so jealous! Oh! But there's still one more thing they did on TV we have to do!"

"What would that b-" Yuuno's eyes widened as Raiko quickly pressed her lips against his.

"That!" Raiko grinned when she backed away. Yuuno just stood there with his mouth open and his face red. "Sensei looks so funny! Come on, George, let's go home!"

"Raiko, wait for me!" Yuuno chased after her when he regained his wits. His life might have gotten a lot crazier but the boy knew that he wouldn't give it up for anything.


	4. D Day

Yami frowned.

"How the heck did he call that snake when he was out of power? Never mind that he wouldn't have time to do so since that explosion was right next to him! What moron came up with this trash?"

She snatched the controller off the couch and changed the channel. She surfed through a few but found nothing of interest.

"Nothing of worth on. I suppose I could go put in a movie." A beat passed. "What the hell am I doing?" She jumped off the couch and threw the controller at it. "I am the Lord of Darkness! I will not be content just sitting here watching TV! I should be sitting on a throne while the masses worship at my feet!"

She glanced down at her socks and saw no such masses. The only other person in the room was Raiko who was rolling around on the carpet with her stuffed cat. Yami was not pleased that the blue haired girl was not paying her tribute and decided to do something about it.

"Hey, you." Yami stomped over to Raiko. "Give that animal to me."

"No!" Raiko said, clutching the cat to her chest. "George is mine!"

"This is an order from your king! Hand it over!" Yami reached out and grabbed the toy, attempting to yank it from Raiko's hands.

"I said no!" Raiko pulled back with equal force and in the ensuing struggle the inevitable happened.

Riiiiiiiiip.

Yami stumbled back as the fabric gave way and George's cotton guts spewed everywhere. She looked at the other girl and saw her bangs covering her eyes and her mouth hanging open.

"W-Well, it serves you right for defying me!" Yami snarked. Now Raiko would get mad and attack, allowing Yami the chance to beat her down and re-assert her dominance. She'd remind her of her place!

"George…" Raiko whispered. Yami readied herself for an attack but she didn't anticipate what would happen next.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!" Raiko started wailing at the ceiling as pools of tears formed on the floor. Yami was at a loss.

"Raiko, what's wrong?" Yuuno came rushing into the room with Seikou following close behind.

"Yami tried to take George and now George is… George is!" Raiko managed to get out between wails, holding up the remains of the cat.

"Yami!" Yuuno sent a scornful look at the girl. "What did you do?"

"It's not my fault!" She protested. "She wouldn't give it to me without a fight. She's just reaping what she sowed."

"That stuffed animal was hers and you had no right to take it." Yuuno shot back.

"What's hers is mine!" Yami crossed her arms over her chest. "How dare you show such insolence towards your king!"

"No king worth their title would ever treat their people so horribly!" Yuuno glared as he helped Raiko to her feet. "Come on, Raiko, let's go see if we can get George all fixed up."

"Hey, I did not give you permission to leave yet! Get back here!" Yami shouted as they left. "… What the hell are you staring at?"

Seikou looked expressionlessly at Yami a moment before leaving as well.

"Every last one of them…" Yami growled. "I am the king and yet… Fine! To hell with the lot of you!" She stormed off in the opposite direction.

X-X-X

Yami left the house and wandered aimlessly around the neighbourhood, pondering her next move.

"How can I go about reminding them of my authority?" She wondered. "If only I were not under these restrictions I could prove my might with Excalibur and no one would question me again!"

She came across the local park and happened upon two youngsters playing in the sand. One was a girl with short fiery orange hair and the other was a boy whose hair was blonde on the top but brown on the sides. They were both busy building a structure in the box.

"Or I could start my kingdom from scratch." Yami realised. "I shall start with those two children and go from there!" She walked over to them and announced her presence. "Greetings, commoners!"

"Who the heck are you, lady?" The boy asked.

"Watch your tongue for you speak to royalty!" Yami said. "I am the once and future king of this world and you will show respect!"

"Um, we're just trying to build a sand castle here." The girl said. "Could you please…"

"A castle? Perfect! It will serve as the model for my future home!" Yami planted her hands on her hips. "Now, back to work!"

The children hesitantly went back to building and several minutes passed, Yami issuing instructions the whole time.

"No, no! How many times do I have to tell you to add more spikes? That tower isn't nearly tall enough and the left wall keeps collapsing! How do you expect it to ward off an attack? Do it better!"

"Forget this." The boy threw down his tools and stood up. "Let's go, Mai."

"Okay, Yuuichi." Mai took his hand and they both ran off.

"Hey! Stop! You aren't finished yet!" Yami called after them. "… Why does everyone keep abandoning me…?" She glared at the forsaken sand castle and began stomping on it repeatedly. "Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it DAMN IT!"

After the castle was obliterated Yami was left panting alone in the empty park. She went over to the swing and sat. "No one gives me the respect I deserve as king. What is wrong with all of them?"

"I don't believe the fault lies with them."

Yami turned to meet the voice. "Go away you dusty old book." She growled. Reinforce merely gave a slight smile and sat in the adjacent swing.

"I sensed something from this direction and sure enough I discover you. What is troubling you?"

"Nothing is troubling me." Yami muttered. "A king like myself cannot be concerned with such petty matters!"

"Why is it that you desire to be a king so much?"

Yami blinked at the unexpected question. "Isn't it obvious? I am a king so I should be in my rightful place. The problem is that I am not getting treatment befitting a king! I should be lavished with praise while everyone lines up to serve me! They should all love and adore me but instead they reject me and leave me alone in the darkness…"

Reinforce's eyes widened slightly, the memories of her master alone in her dark and empty house springing to mind.

"Let me ask you something. What does it mean to be king?"

"Like I said already," Yami frowned. "A king is adored and served faithfully by his subjects!"

"Is that all?" Reinforce pressed.

"… Well, the king gets to sit on his throne all day and basically gets to do whatever he wants…"

"I see. You know, I've been around for many years."

"You don't need to remind me."

"And during that time I've borne witness to many kingdoms and many kings. In all such cases the kings that fit your definition were not met with success."

"… Huh?"

"A king who does nothing but order his people around and do whatever he wants never gains the love of his people. Instead the people will revolt and overthrow the king."

"… Then what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to get people to like me?"

"Try being nice to them." Reinforce suggested.

"… What?" Yami looked like the concept was completely foreign to her.

"Do you know what noblesse oblige is?" Reinforce asked.

"… Noble obligation?" Yami guessed.

"Yes." Reinforce nodded. "Subjects serve the king, but the king serves his subjects. He must use his position to care for and protect his people. The people will then return that kindness."

"… Will that really work?" Yami wondered. "That peon is always so nice to those other two but he never pays any attention to me when I am behaving. It seems the only way to get him to do so is by causing him trouble. When I keep quiet he just ignores me. He's supposed to be in my harem and yet…"

"I see. You are jealous, aren't you?" Reinforce asked.

"Huh?" Yami gawked. "Don't be absurd! What do I have to be jealous of? I'm the Lord of Darkness!"

Reinforce chuckled softly. "Anyways, that is something you will have to discuss with him. But I do know that he does care about you. As we speak he is frantically looking for you. He called me earlier to enlist my aid in locating you."

"O-Oh, I see." Yami turned away to hide her expression. "Well, it seems he understands my importance…"

Reinforce chuckled again. "You should head back home now."

"… It is getting late so I suppose I shall…" Yami stood and walked away. "Your meddling was uncalled for, but… I guess I should offer my thanks…"

"You are welcome." Reinforce smiled as the smaller girl left.

X-X-X

Yami paused before the home she shared with the others. She considered what Reinforce had told her and decided to give it a try. What she was doing currently wasn't having the desired effect so doing something different could yield promising results. If there was improvement Yami would be sure to appoint the unison device as her royal advisor.

'Be nice.' She reminded herself. Surely such a simple thing would be no problem for one such as her.

"… I have returned." Yami called quietly as she went through the front door.

"Yami, you're back." Yuuno sighed when he saw her. "I was worried when you just disappeared like that. I wanted to apologise for being so harsh on you earlier…"

'Be nice.'

"W-Well…" Yami glanced away and scratched her cheek. "I am benevolent enough to forgive you and I am also big enough to admit that I was in the wrong." She glanced at Raiko who was peeking out from a corner. "I apologise for my actions. Did you manage to fix the item?"

"George is all better now!" Raiko stepped out and held up the cat. "The admiral lady did a great job!"

"Luckily it tore at the seams so repairing it was easy." Yuuno explained.

'Be nice.'

"I-I see. All is well, then." Yami nodded.

"Yami, if you want to play with George I'll let you, but next time you have to ask nicely okay?" Raiko said.

"Why should I have to…"

'Be nice.'

"Uh… I mean…Your terms are acceptable."

"Now that that's settled I better get started on dinner." Yuuno said.

'Be nice.'

"I shall assist you, then."

"Eh?" Yuuno blinked at Yami's sudden proposal. "Really? You will?"

'Be…'

"Don't look at me like that!" Yami huffed. "As king I am perfectly capable of lending you my aide. You should be grateful, peon!"

It was surprisingly harder than expected.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate it, Yami." Yuuno smiled.

"Call me your majesty!"

Well, no kingdom was built in a day.

* * *

Ages ago a buddy of mine asked if I could put in a cameo of Mai and Yuuichi from My Hime in one of my fics. He's one of the proud few Mai/Yuuichi shippers and since I'm one too (we both think the manga is better as well) I intended to oblige him. Took me long enough ^^" I'm sure this isn't quite what he had in mind, though.

Special thanks to Nanya for helping me decide on Yami's viewing material (it's Sasuke's 'Great Snake Escape' from Naruto for those who didn't know).

Thanks to Alavon as well for being particularly supportive of this fic.


	5. Sick Days

"Hang in there, Yuuno-sensei!" Raiko firmly gripped the bedridden Yuuno's hand. "Please don't die!"

"Don't worry, Raiko," Yuuno said with a cough. "Everything will be all right…"

"There's only one way to save you!" Raiko said. "We have to go on a fantastic voyage into your body, you know, just like in that movie 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle'!"

"… It is merely a cold." Seikou said as she looked at a thermometer. "He will recover in a day or so."

"Hrmp, succumbing to a mere virus…" Yami scoffed. "Well… not like it's going to kill you."

"Thanks for the concern but there's no need to get worked up about it." Yuuno managed a smile. "I just need to rest, that's all. Why don't you three go out and play somewhere? You've reached the point where you don't require constant supervision, you know."

"I refuse to leave Yuuno-san in such a state," Seikou said simply. "I will stay by your side until you are well again."

"I'm staying too!" Raiko bounced up. "It's no fun without Yuuno-sensei around!"

"And without my leadership, who knows what sort of trouble will occur," Yami said. "Be thankful that I too shall remain!"

"Do not concern yourself with us," Seikou said. "Just focus on getting better."

"Okay, thank you." Yuuno closed his eyes. "I think I'll just go back to sleep."

"Then I'll sing you a lullaby!" Raiko beamed and started singing. "GOOD NIGHT, SWEET DREAMS TO YOU! RIDING ON A SHIP OF CLOUDS!"

"How do you expect anyone to sleep with you shouting like that?" Yami grabbed Raiko's collar and dragged her out of the room. "You're coming with me."

"Just you watch! I'll become the top selling voice actress someday!" Raiko said as she was pulled away.

"I am sorry for that," Seikou said.

"It's fine," Yuuno said. "With any luck some of her energy will be transferred to me and I'll be better in no time."

"Yes, that would be nice." Seikou smiled slightly.

X-X-X

"So Yami, what are we going to do tonight?" Raiko asked.

"The same thing we do every night…" Yami slapped her own forehead. "I refuse to lower myself to spouting random pop culture references…"

"In some places it's called soda!"

"…. Right. Anyways since that peon is ill I felt it appropriate to make something to assist with his recovery. After all, he's no good to me stuck in bed all day."

"Are we gonna do some cooking?" Raiko asked.

"No, I am going to do some cooking. You won't touch anything."

"But I wanna help too!"

"Then stay out of my way."

"Yami, do you even know how to cook?"

"Don't be foolish. I have the only skill required to cook well." Yami reached into the cupboard and pulled out a book. "I know how to read." She flipped through the pages and found a recipe. "Yes, a hearty soup will do nicely."

X-X-X

Yami took the soup to the bedroom and found Yuuno sitting up in bed.

"Yami, what's that you have there?" He asked.

"Something to speed up your recovery," she said, pushing the bowl into his hands. "Be thankful I went to such lengths for you."

"I am thankful. Now let's have a taste…" Yuuno popped a spoonful into his mouth and his face lit up. "This is amazing! I'm cured!" He jumped out of the bed and went down to his knees. "I swear I shall serve you from this day forward, your majesty!"

X-X-X

"Hehehe, yes, it's perfect!"

"Let me help!" Raiko said. "Let me help let me help let me help!"

"Fine!" Yami sighed. "Go get the pot while I get the stock."

"Kay!"

The soup making process progressed fairly smoothly.

"Now to add the noodles." Yami dropped them into the pot. Plop. "Next, the chicken…" She walked away to get the meat.

"Chocolate makes everything better!" Plop. Raiko dropped a bar of it into the pot and walked away.

"Chicken is in." Plop. "Now the carrots…" Yami walked away.

"Caramel is yummy!" Raiko came back and squirted syrup into the soup before leaving again. Plop.

"Carrots are in." Plop. "Next …"

"Can't get enough sugar!" Plop.

"Some potatoes…" Plop.

"I don't even know what this is!" Plop.

"Finally, some celery." Plop. Yami put in the final ingredient and studied her work. She frowned as the bubbling purple liquid looked nothing like the picture in the book. "That can't be right, I followed the instructions to the letter! Hm, it does say that results may vary so that must be it!"

When it was ready, Yami put some soup into a bowl and headed upstairs.

"I hope he likes it!" Raiko said as she followed.

They entered the room to see Yuuno sitting up with a book and Seikou sitting beside the bed with a book of her own.

"I thought you were going to sleep," Yami said.

"Well, that's easier said than done." Yuuno smiled sheepishly.

"It's just as well. I have prepared nourishment for you." Yami held out the bowl.

"Wow, really? Thank… you…" Yuuno looked at the purple fluid. "Uh… this is…"

"Soup, obviously." Yami pushed the bowl into his hands. "I went to the trouble of making this for you, so you better eat every last drop!"

"O-Okay…" Yuuno gulped. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as it looked. He hesitantly put a spoonful into his mouth, his face turned blue, and he fell backwards unconscious.

Seikou quickly grabbed the bowl before it made a mess. "What did you make him eat?" She asked calmly.

"It was just soup!" Yami said. "I followed the recipe in the book perfectly!"

"I believe the results speak for themselves."

"Haha! Yami is a lethal chef!" Raiko said.

"I do not have such a cliché character setting!" Yami crossed her arms. "I fail to see what could have gone wrong."

"Yami's a bad cook! Yami's a bad cook!" Raiko danced around.

"I am not!"

"And to think I even made it better with that extra stuff I threw in!"

"… SO IT WAS YOU!" Yami lunged but Raiko evaded.

"Wai~! Yami is angry!"

"GET BACK HERE YOU BLUE HAIRED BAFOON!" Yami chased Raiko out of the room.

Seikou let out a heavy sigh.

X-X-X

Yuuno resurfaced sometime later and saw that Seikou was still there beside him.

"Seikou… How long was I out?"

"A few hours," she said. "Well, at least that soup assured that you got some rest."

"Not sure the cost was worth it…" Yuuno shuddered. "How could something that bad exist?"

"It appears that Raiko tampered with it, so do not fault Yami for it."

"I see… Where are those two anyways?"

"I believe Yami is still making Raiko eat the remainder of that soup."

"Oh… So, were you here with me the entire time?"

"Yes."

"You didn't have to do that." Yuuno frowned. "Don't inconvenience yourself for my sake. I'm sure there were things you'd rather do."

"There was not," Seikou said. "Ensuring that you become well is what I want to do. When you feel better, so will I."

"Well… thanks…"

"And do not concern yourself with inconveniencing me. In fact, I wish you would rely on me more. You have done so much for me and I want to repay you."

"It's not like I'm helping you because I want something in return…"

"I am aware, but some one who does not return the good will of others is the worst sort of person."

"Well, maybe…" Yuuno scratched his cheek.

"So please, I would like for you to rely on me more. I want to be of use to you."

"Thanks for the offer, Seikou." Yuuno smiled. "I'll keep it in mind."

"For starters, remove your clothes."

"Okay, I'll… HUH?"

"Please remove your clothes."

"Wh-Why?" Yuuno pulled away.

"You sweated profusely while you slept. I shall wipe your body down."

"It's okay, I can do it myself!"

"I insist." Seikou grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled.

"Please give me a break!"

X-X-X

The next day…

"I suppose you brought this on yourself," Yami said as she looked down on the bedridden Seikou.

"I'm sorry, Seikou," Yuuno said. "I gave you my cold."

"Do not worry about it." Seikou coughed. "You should get going to the library, Yuuno-san. You said you wanted to get some work done there."

"I do, but I can't leave you like this," he said. "You stayed by my side yesterday, so…"

"No, I do not wish to cause you any more inconvenience. Please go."

"But…"

"Enough of this!" Yami stomped her foot. "If she says go, then get going, peon!"

"Yami…"

"You can make yourself useful by taking that idiot with you and getting her out of our hair. I will look after this one."

"Really?" Yuuno blinked. "You'd do that, Yami?"

"Don't question me! Now get lost!" Yami kicked Yuuno out of the room.

"Well, call if anything…" The door slammed in Yuuno's face.

"Does he do something other than worry?" Yami pursed her lips and flopped down into a chair. "He shouldn't doubt his king!"

"You needn't trouble yourself either, Yami," Seikou said. "I can…"

"Silence! I… I would be troubled if something happened to a valuable subject such as yourself! I'm only looking out for my own interests!"

"I see." Seikou smiled slightly.

"… What are you smiling at? No matter. I'll make you some soup later."

"… I think I shall pass."

"Hey! That wasn't my fault! It will taste fine this time!"

"I am not so certain…"

"Why you…" Yami blinked. "Wait, are you trying to be funny?"

"Yes."

"… You've got some nerve, teasing your king!"

"… If I may be direct, I do not see you as my king."

"HUH? I'm going to pretend that's the fever talking!"

"I am being serious. I consider you, as well as Raiko, to be my precious sisters."

"Sisters? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I'm your king and you're my subject! Nothing more! Never forget that!"

"Oh… My apologies…" Seikou lowered her head. "For thinking something so foolish…"

Silence hung in the room as Yami watched Seikou's crestfallen expression out of the corner of her eye.

"… Just so we're clear," Yami said. "…I'm the oldest sister! You can be the middle one!"

Seikou's head perked up. "Yami…"

"W-What? Don't look at me like that! This doesn't make you a princess or anything, and it still means I get to boss you around, you got that?"

"I understand." Seikou smiled happily. "Thank you, Yami."

"W-Whatever… I'll go make that soup now!"

Yami left the room and Seikou sat back contently. She might have still been sick, but she felt fantastic.


End file.
